From the first use of the word “metagame” in Nigel Howard’s Cold War variation of the Prisoner’s Dilemma in 1956, to Richard Garfield’s definitions and modern day usage in competitive games, the term has accompanied games and game-theory alike, shifting and adding to its definition over the years. This workshop focuses an empiric approach to “reading” metagames in the competitive sense, by showcasing and analysing a historic meta of the acclaimed TCG “Magic the Gathering”. Attendees will be challenged to navigate this subspace, before comparing their decisions to the actual development and evolution of said particular format.
Category: Talk
Statistical and Empirical Analysis of Dominant Strategies: a Case Study on “Meta” in MTG
Trading Card Games and the Neoliberal Self: Power, Play, and Resistance Summary
In this presentation i will explore how trading card games like Magic: The Gathering or Yu-Gi-Oh! reflect and reproduce neoliberal ideologies, transforming leisure into arenas of self-discipline, optimization, and internalized control. Drawing on Foucault’s governmentality, Deleuze’s control society, and Bröckling’s entrepreneurial self, i argue that players govern and market themselves within systems of constant performance, efficiency, and visibility. However, it also highlights the potential for resistance through rhizomatic play, community-driven formats, and subversive interpretations. Trading card games thus become not only mirrors of neoliberal subjectivation but also possible spaces for cultural counterpower and creative reimagination.a presentation by Thomas Neumann
Cards and Community: Social Connection in (the) Flesh and Blood
This presentation explores how local card game communities create spaces for structured social engagement and interpersonal connection. Drawing on survey responses (N=33) from players of Flesh and Blood, a collectible card game that emphasizes local, offline play, this presentation highlights how in-person formats can encourage community building, friendship, and travel, even for those who may otherwise find social interaction challenging, such as neurodivergent or socially anxious individuals. By looking at the history of competitive trading card game communities and how they have evolved over time, alongside recent shifts in post-pandemic design and increasing online play, this study highlights how in-person formats can offer structure, safety, and meaningful connection, especially for those often excluded from traditional social spaces.a presentation by Kseniia Harshina and Tom Tucek
From Sinful trionfi to Etteilla’s Mysticism and Jung’s Psycho-Narratology: On the Potentials of Tarot Cards for Game Design
Over the course of their long (or rather short?) history, tarot cards have fulfilled many functions in varying contexts, and in our workshop we will consider them under the specific perspective of game studies and -design.
As a common point of entry and to lay shared groundworks for hands-on experiences and academic work, we will have a quick look at the cultural history of the card deck, touching upon its uses for entertainment purposes, esoteric and spiritual practices, as well as narratology, psychology, and psychotherapy. We will then together collect and define the potential affordances and constraints, potentials and pitfalls, these 78 cards can provide us with for ludic designs within the NAMES framework, before you will get your hands on some tarot game prototypes, both card games but also a TTRPG system, in small groups. Our workshop finally ends with a plenary discussion of your experiences and potential possible future developments in game design using one of the most famous decks of cards in the world.a presentation by René Reinhold
Plain Walking? Representations of Space in (Trading) Card Games
Games typically aim to induce a state of immersion – but what about card games, bound to two dimensions as they are? This workshop explores how card games enable us to enter fantastic worlds while following abstract, rule-bound functions. Share your experiences, play games that take unique approaches to the matter, and discuss your playtest results.a presentation by Felix Schniz